


An Hour in the Life

by Mara



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-25
Updated: 2009-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-03 18:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the alternate universe set up by "Twilight," Archer and T'Pol spent many years together...</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Hour in the Life

**Author's Note:**

> After "Twilight" aired, Mareel challenged folks to write stories taking place during that episode. RhiannonRevolts wanted me to write Archer/T'Pol. I'm not sure this is precisely what she was looking for, but I go where the muses tell me.
> 
> Thanks to Captain Average, the bestest beta ever, for taking a look at this.

T'Pol had given up telling herself how illogical it was to be upset 5.25 years previously. Because, in a circularly logical way, it was illogical to keep reminding herself.

Soval was correct about many things, but that was entirely irrelevant. The situation was what it was, and it behooved her to do her duty.

Jonathan sat at their kitchen table--the daily retelling of the story over for the moment--his head bowed. There were, she could see, a few more gray hairs in that head then when she had last looked.

It would take him a few more minutes to process everything, so T'Pol cleared the table. Dishes cleaned, she sat back down at the table. It was going to be a very temperate day, she thought, looking at the sunlight streaming through the windows. Perhaps later they might spend some time in the garden, which was in need of some attention. Jonathan found that very soothing, generally.

Life had taken on a very regular schedule, and she relished that. Now, knowing Jonathan as she did, it was almost time for him to ask one of the questions that usually occurred to him at this time. Idly, she wondered whether it would be about the fate of the crew today. Or perhaps asking for the more technical details of his condition.

Waiting for him to be ready, she rested her hands on the table and allowed her mind to enter the first stage of meditation. There was no reason to waste this time, of course.

It was into that relaxed state of contemplation that Jonathan's question drifted.

"Do you love me?" he asked.

She brought her mind back to the surface, certain she had heard him incorrectly. "Excuse me?"

He swallowed, the lines in his face more apparent. "Do you love me?"

She blinked, unsure how one answered that. "Is this a typical question humans ask each other?"

"Never mind," Jonathan said, shaking his head, "it was a stupid question."

"Never that. But I do not know how to answer it. We have spent many years together in harmony, but I have never understood how humans define love."

He leaned back in his seat. "I'm not sure I want to try and explain it. I just...we've been here so long, I wondered why you'd stayed with the last remnants of humanity when you could have returned to Vulcan."

Puzzled, she frowned at him. "I did not stay with them, I stayed with you."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Close enough." He laughed aloud at her confusion.

Days like today were what Soval had never understood. Why had she remained steadfast at the side of the humans, despite everything?

Because they had never once failed to surprise her in the end.


End file.
